Method of and apparatus for operating upon shoe-part blanks



J. A. BROGAN 1,857,180

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR OPERATING UPON SHOE PART BLANKS May 10, 1932.

Filed April 19, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet l May 10, 1932. J. A. BROGAN METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR OPERATING UPON S HOE PART BLANKS Filed April 19. 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I (N...

J. A. BROGAN 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 19. 1928 METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR OPERATING UPON SHOE PART BLANKS May 10, 1932. J. A. BROGAN 1,357,180

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR OPERATING UPON SHOE PART BLANKS Filed April 19, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 v v I I Fi' .4. %y .2-

May 10, 1932. 1 J. A. BROGAN 1,357,130

METHOD OF AND KPPARATUS FOR OPERATING UPON SHOE PART BLANKS Filed Apr il ,19, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented May 10, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JAMES A. BROGAN, OF LAWRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MIA--v CHINEBY CORIORATION, OF PATE RSO N,

JERSEY NEW JERSEY, A'COBPORATION OF NEW METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR OPERATING UPON SHOE -PART BLANKS Application fileds' April 19, 1

This invention relates to methods of-and apparatus for shaping shoe part blanks and in its machine aspect is herein illustrated as embodied in a machine for shaping heel stifi'eners or counters.

In producing heel stiffeners or counters of leather or other sheet material," considerable difficulty has heretofore been experienced in shaping blanks to cause them to conform substantially to the curvature of lasts of shoes in which they were to be assembled, Without deforming the blanks to such an extent that the counters cracked or otherwise broke downafter they were assembled in the shoes, while at the same time imparting sufficient flexibility to the counters to permit them to be fitted c-loselyto the lasts This difliculty has been due in many instances to the fact that the molding or shaping pressure was applied too suddenly with the result that the material forming the blanks was stretched beyond its elastic limit,

In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved-machine and method for the treatment of blanks by the use of which counters of predetermined shape and of requisite flexibility will be produced without unduly weakening the material from which they are made. f

In its machine aspect, one feature of the invention resides in the provision of an im proved counter-shaping machine comprising a forming roll and a plurality of'pressure rolls c-o-operating therewith for successively applying greater pressures to a counterblank advanced between the forming 'roll and the pressure rolls. to produce a counter having predetermined curvatures. 4

The construction referred to is such that as a counter passes between the rolls successive applications of pressure gradually operate upon the counter blank to stretch it 1011- gitudinally along the central portion thereof and to shape it transversely thereof,thereby to give the blank its final shape and to render it flexible without so distorting the fibers of the material that the counter is weakened- As illustrated, the forming roll. is provided with a convex peripheral portion of a curvature corresponding to that which itis 1928. Serial No. 271,281.

desired to produce inthecentralportion of the counter to be shaped, The illustrated pressure rolls are of a concave curvature corresponding approximately to that of the convex portion of the forming roll andco-operate successively with diiferent portions of the periphery of the forming, roll to shape the counter in a transverse direction. The pressure rolls are preferablyresiliently supported in such manner that the rolls are caused to apply increased pressures step-by-step to panying drawings and will bepointed out in p the claims. Y

- In the drawings, v 8 Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying the invention;

ig. 2 represents a longitudinal cross-sec tional View through the illustrated machine;

- 3 is an end view of the machine;

I Fig. 4 is a cross-sectionalview taken along the line IVIV of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5' is a detail'view of two of the pressure rolls and a guide plate;

Fig. 6 is a detail view of the feed chute and guide members;

Fig. 7 is a cross-section member; I i c Fig. 8 is a view showing a completed counter; and

Figs. 9, 10,11 and views illustrating the successive operations of the rolls upon a counter blank.

The illustrated machine is particularly dein detail of a guide signed for operation upon died-out counter 12 are diagrammatic of a feed chute 24 into engagementwith the forming roll 14 and the first pressure roll (16) is advanced successively between the forming roll and each of the pressure rolls, thereby toshape the blank, the finished counter being discharged into a chute 26. V

The forming roll 14' (Figs. 1,2 and 3) is provided with a convex peripheral surface 28 corresponding in curvature substantially tothe curvature of the transverse central portion of the inside of the counter blank to be shaped. The convex surface 28 is formed with knurling 30 which is arranged toengage the inner surface of a counter blank presented to the roll, thereby to carry the blank along the periphery of the roll as it is rotated. The forming roll 14 is secured upon a shaft 32, best shown in Fig. 4, mounted in bearings 34 in the side plates 10, and is driven by means of-an electric motor 36 (Fig. 3) operating through a train of gears comprising a pinion 38 meshing with a driving gear 40 mounted on a shaft 42. Theshaft 42 carries a pinion 44 which is in mesh with a gear 46 mounted on a shaft 48 and having on the back thereof a small gear 50 which drives a gear 52 keyed to the shaft 32 upon which the forming roll 14 is carried. The arrangement is such that the roll 14 is continuously driven in a counterclockwise direction. Y

Each of the pressure rolls 16, 18, 20 and 22 is provided with a concave surface of somewhat flatter curvature than that of the convex portion of the forming roll 14, as shown in Figs. 9, 10, 11 and 12. It will be noted that the curvature of the roll 16 is somewhat flatter than the curvatures of rolls 18, 20 and 22. This is forthe purpose of facilitating the initial presentation of a counter blank to the forming roll 14 and pressure roll16. The mountings of the pressure rolls 16, 18, 20 and 22 are substantially similar and, accordingly, only one of them will be described in detail. As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, the pressure roll 18 is keyed'toa. shaft 54 carried by two bearings 56 which are slidably mounted in the side frames 10 for movement toward and from the forming roll. The bearings 56 and consequently the pressure roll 18 are forced toward the forming roll 14 by means of springs 58 the tension of which is adjustable by means of set-screws 60 which bear upon the lower ends of the springs. Movement of the pressure roll 18 toward the forming roll 14 is limited by set-screws 62 which engage respectively hardened metal buttons 64 carried respectively by the central portion of the bearings 56. By adjusting the screws 62 the minimum distance between the forming roll'14 and the pressure roll 18 is so regulated according to the thickness of the counter blank to be operated upon that the thin forward edge of the blank can be fed between the forming roll 10 and the pressure roll 18 without being obstructed.

In order toassist the forming roll 14 in feeding the counter blanks, each of the pressure rolls is drivenin a clockwise direction corresponding .to the general direction of movement of the lower surface of the forming roll. To thisend, each ofthe shafts 54 is provided With a pinion 66 by which the shaft is driven. Pressure-rolls 16 and 18 have-their pinions 66 in mesh with the gear 52 which drives the forming roll shaft 32. Thepitch line of the gear 52 is substantially of the same diameter as the forming roll 14 andthesmallest diameter of the pressure rolls .16 and-18 is substantially the same as the pitch line of the pinion 66. Consequently, thesurface speed of the central surface portion of each'ofthe pressure rolls 16 and 18 is substantially the same as the surface speed of the outer portion of the forming roll 14. Thus the forming roll and the pressure rolls 16 and 18 will co-operate to feed a counter blank between the rolls with only a small amount of slipping of the central portion of the blank over the forming roll.

In producing curvatures in two directions in a counter blankv in conforming it to the shape of a last, there is a tendency for the blank'to buckle along its edges, due to the unequal stretching of the central portions of the blank more than the side portions thereof. In:the present instance this buckling action'is counteracted by increasing the speed of the pressure r0lls 20 and 22, thereby increasing the action of the'rolls in stretching the outer portions of the. blank. To this end, pinions 68' of the pressure rolls 20 and 22aremeshed with a gear 7 O mounted on one end of the shaft 32 which carries the gear 52. The gear 7 O is somewhat larger than the gear '52 and consequently thepressure rolls 20 and 22 are driven at a greater speed than the pressure rolls 16 and 18 andalso at a greater surface speed than that of the forming roll 14.

The set-screws 60 arev so adjusted that the initial pressure upon the roll 16 is comparatively light, the pressure upon each of the rolls 18, 20 and 22 being made greater. by increasing-the tension of successive springs 58, relatively to that upon its predecessor until the'maximum pressure is applied to the roll 22 which is the last pressure roll to operate upon a blank. Thus the pressure upon a blank is increased step by-step as the blank j in such manner that the blanks would 'be' passes over the pressure rolls. The efiect of this increase of pressure upon a blank such as blank S as it passes between the formingroll and the pressure rolls is diagrammatie cally illustrated in Figs. 9, 10, 11 and 12. Fig. 9 illustrates the condition of the blank S as it passes between the forming roll 14 and the pressure roll 16. At this stage the blank is engaged by the forming roll 14 over a small part only of the central portion of the blank which by the rubbing action of the rolls is stretched longitudinally along the periphery of the forming roll and is curved slightly in a transverse direction by the pressing action of the rolls causing the blank, which is in temper, to conform with the surfaces of the rolls. Fig. 10 illustrates the 8 condition of the blank as it passes over the pressureroll 18. At this stage the rolls are shownslightly closer together because of the fact that the stretching of the blank has thinned it somewhat. The forming roll is shown contacting with a greater part of the central portion of the blank S, having co-operated with the roll 18 to effect a further shaping of the blank transversely as well as stretching it longitudinally. Figs. 11 and 12 illustrate the further transverse shaping action as the blank S passes over the rolls 20 and 22, the final transverse curvature being imparted by the roll 22vco-operating with the formingroll 14. A completed counter S is illustrated in Fig. 8, which shows the curvature which has been imparted to the blank. This curvature approximates the shape of the last to which the counter is to be applied. the trans verse curvature being such as to fit the bulge in the heel portion of the last and to cause the skived portions of the counter to hug the cone of the last.

Because of the irregular shape ofcounter blanks, considerable dilficulty has been experienced in feeding them to shaping rolls shaped substantially along a predetermined central line. In view of this, means. is provided for guiding the blanks into engagement with the forming roll 14'and the first of the pressure rolls (16). To this end', the feed chute 24 (Figs. 2 and 6) is provided with a plurality of guide plates 72' having inturned flanges 74 which serve to hold the counter blanks flat as they are fed by hand into the At the lower end of the chute are located a plurality of fingers 76 L-shaped in cross-section, as shown in Fig. 7. These fingers are urged inwardly by means of springs 7 8 and operate to engage the side margins of a counter blank and locate it with its longi-' tudinal center line substantially in alignment with the central part of the convex portion of the forming roll 14. To provide for adjust- V ment of the fingers laterally of the chute to take care of counters of different sizes and shapes, the fingers 7 6 are mounted upon pivots 80 carried by a pair of slides 82.. The slides are adjustable laterally of the chute by a shaft 84 provided at its ends with oppositely extending screw-threads engaging with the slides 82. The arrangement is such that by turninga nut 86 secured to the shaft 84 the slides 82 and consequently the fingers 76 are moved in unison in directions toward or away from each other, thereby locating the fingers in position to guide counter blanks ofthe width being operated upon. It is to be noted that one arm 77 of the L-shaped portionof each of the fingers 76 is positioned parallel to the line of feed of the counter and will overhang the surface of the counter blank as it is fed and'the other arm 7 9 will engage the side mar-v gin of the counter to guide it. The first-men- I tioned arm prevents displacement of the counter due to any tendency of the counter to be displaced upwardly as it is seized by the rolls. 2

being fed through the machine from one of the pressure rolls to another, there are provided a plurality of guide plates 88 (Figs. 1 and ,2) each of which is located between a pair of pressure rolls and is positioned in close proximity to but spaced from the formingrolL- One of the plates 88-is shown in F ig. 5.

It will be noted that the plate is of concave In order to guide the counter while it is i betweenit and the next pressure roll. LThe plate 88 so prevents movement of the blank away from the forming rollthat theshape impressed upon-it by the rolls is maintained as itpassesfrom one roll to another. g

.Thefdischarge chute 26is supported upon one of the bolts12.;by,means of a plurality of U-bolts 94. Thedischaige chute is provided with a device'for preventing the carrying of completed blanks around with the roll 14 and deliveringthe blanks into'the chute 26. This device comprises a plurality of plates 96 mounted u'pon a shaft 98carried by the discharge chute 26. The plates are spaced apart by washers 100 and are adjusted by rotating them slightly uponthe shaft 98 until their ends are positioned slightly above the convex surface ofthe rollJ -The plates 96 arethen secured by the nuts 102 which exert pressure upon the washers 100'to hold the'plates 96 in adjusted positions-.-

the pressure roll'22, the ,forward end of the As a completed counter is carried beyond counter. engages the curvedbacks of'theplates 96 which lift. it above the surface of the forming roll 14 and, as the roll carries the rearward portion of the counter upwardly, the counter is completely stripped from the roll and falls over into the discharge chute 26.

In the operation. of the machine, counter blanks are fed by hand into the chute 24, the fingers 76 guiding the blanks into position between the forming roll 14 and the pressure roll 16. The rolls 14 and 16 co-operate to feed the blank around the periphery of the forming roll 14, which imparts a stretching action longitudinally of the blank and a shaping action transversely of the blank. As the blank is moved with the forming roll 14, it

successively engages the pressure rolls 18, 20

' from the machine into the chute 26. By applying increased pressures to a blank stepby-step the fibers in the material composing the blank are gradually distorted to impart the desired flexibility to the blank while shap ing it without weakening the blank to such an extent that it will for that reason crack or otherwise fail when in use.

- It is to be understood that, while the invention has been illustrated in connection with the production of counters which do not have marginal flanges, it is not so limited but is applicable to the production of counters of other types.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A'counter-shaping machine comprising a forming roll, a plurality of pressure rolls positioned along the periphery of the forming roll and spaced therefrom, the pressure rolls having concave surface portions and the forming roll having a convex surface port on co-operable with said concave surface -por,-' tions of the pressure rolls to stretch a counter blank longitudinally and transversely, the curvature of said surface portions of the pres- 7, sure rolls being flatter than that of said surface portions of the forming roll, "and means for driving the rolls in directions to advance the counter blank from one roll to anotherr 2. A counter-forming machinecomprising a continuously rotating formingroll having means for engaging a counter blank presented to the'roll and tending to advance the blank with the roll, a plurality of pressure rolls positioned adjacent to the forming roll, and resilient means for-forcing the; pressure rolls toward the forming roll successively to cause them to apply increased pressures upon the blank as it is advanced.

blank with the roll, a, plurality of pressure rolls positioned adjacent to the forming roll, resilient means operable to exert increasing pressures upon successive pressure rolls to force the pressure rolls toward the forming roll to cause themsuccessively to apply increasing pressures upon the blank as it is advanced, and means for driving the pressure rolls.

4. A counter-forming machine comprising a continuously rotating forming roll having means for engaging a counter blank presented to the roll and tending to advance the blank with the roll, a plurality of pressure rolls positioned adjacent to the forming roll, resilient means for forcing the pressure rolls toward the forming roll to cause themsuccessively to apply increasing pressures upon the blank as it is advanced, and means for driving the pressure rolls at different speeds.

5. A counter-forming machine comprising a continuously rotating forming roll having means for engaging with a counter blank presented to the roll and tending to advance the blank with the roll, a plurality of pressure rolls positioned adjacent to the forming roll,

thereby to feed the blank between the form;

ing roll and each of the pressure rolls successively, and means for stripping the blank from the forming roll after the blank has passed the last of the pressure rolls. 7

7. A counter-shaping machine comprising a forming roll having a convex surface a series of pressure rolls each having'a concave surface, means for guiding a counter blank into position between the forming roll and the first of theseries of pressure rolls, the

surface of the last-mentioned roll being of relatively flat curvature to facilitate the positioning of the blank, and means for driving the rolls thereby to feed the blank successively between the forming roll andeach of the pressure rolls;

8. A counter-shaping machine comprising a forming roll having a convex surface. a se ries of pressure rolls each having a concave surface and arranged about the periphery of the forming roll, means for directing a counter blank fed to the machine into position to be engaged by the forming roll and the first of the series of the pressure rolls, the surface of the last-mentioned roll being of flatter curvature than that of the forming roll to faciltate the positioning of the blank,

means for advancing the blank between the forming roll and each of the pressure rolls successively, and means for guiding the blank from one pressure roll to another.

9. A counter-shaping machine comprising a forming roll, a series of pressure rolls co operable with the forming roll to shape a counter blank advanced between the forming roll and the pressure rolls, means for effecting relative rotation of the forming roll and the pressure rolls thereby to stretch the blank along a longitudinal center line thereof and to shape the blank transversely thereof, and means for causing the pressure rolls to apply successively increased pressures to the blank as it is advanced to extend the longitudinal stretching of the blank from the center line toward the margins of the blank.

10. A counter-shaping machine comprising a forming roll a series of pressure rolls co-operable with the forming roll to shape a counter blank advanced between the forming roll and the pressure rolls, means for efiecting relative rotation of the forming roll and the pressure rolls thereby to stretch the 7 blank along a longitudinal center line thereof and to shape the blank transversely thereof, and means for causing the pressure rolls to apply step-by-step increased pressures to the blank to operate upon increased areas of the central portion of the blank thereby gradually stretching and shaping the blank outwardly from the center line.

11. The method of shaping counters comprising stretching a counter blank along a longitudinal center line thereof while applying pressure to the blank to shape it transversely thereof and increasing the pressure step-by-step in such a manner that the blank is stretched and shaped progressively from the center line outwardly toward the margins of the blank. r

12. The method of shaping counters comprising applying pressure to the central portion of the counter blank, stretching said portion transversely of the blank and longitudinally thereof, successively operating upon increased areas outwardly from the central portion of the blank, and applying step-bystep increased pressures to the blank, thereby gradually stretching and shaping the blank outwardly from the central portion thereof toward the margins of the blank.

13. The method of shaping counters which comprises applying pressure to a counter blank, imparting curvatures to the blank transversely and longitudinally thereof while under pressure, and successively increasing the pressure upon the blank step-by-step while imparting further curvature to the blank in a direction transversely thereof.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JAMES A. BROGAN. 

